


The Bakit List - A bucket, para sa lahat ng bakit.

by sipsofsmirnoff (unfinishedpages)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: A lot of Drinking mentioned okay, Alternate Universe - Office, Drinking & Talking, Drinking to Cope, Gen, Kim Jongin | Kai-centric, Medjo conyo si Jongin, No Plot/Plotless, Self-Reflection, Shet Ma I'm Sorry?, Slice of Life, Sorry Not Sorry, Taglish rin to, The Author Regrets Everything, Wait is it?, absolutely none, of sorts I guess
Language: Filipino
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 15:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16287383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unfinishedpages/pseuds/sipsofsmirnoff
Summary: Jongin is terrible at navigating thru life in general, and with that, comes terrible coping mechanisms and equally terrible friends.Mabilis si Jongin mademonyo, okay? Malungkot at Marupok. 'Wag tuluran.





	The Bakit List - A bucket, para sa lahat ng bakit.

**Author's Note:**

> aka that fic were this author reaches peak self projection, so Jongin is one big palpacc here.
> 
> The author does not promote gratuitous drinking, okay. Turn up responsibly!
> 
> ((also, the author is bad in filipino, so lots of liberties were taken in regards to grammar))

Room 16.

 

Jongin fussed with his tie, slipping the silky fabric out of its knot as the bottle of his drink lingered on his lips, his gaze distracted as he stared off at the neon display in front of their booth, wondering how they ended up in a secret bar tucked into the streets of Kapitolyo after a fancy office party at 12 am.

 

It was probably quite the sight—a group of twenty somethings emerging from his boss’ Montero sport, dressed up to the nines with suits and pressed dress shirts. He’d never go to these places, in all honesty, but good company and Junmyeon’s generosity was hard to refuse.

 

Nearly an hour later, Jongdae was already slumped against him, chuckling at something Baekhyun had yelled over the music. The older boy had promised that he would be leaving at 1 am, gulping down bottle after bottle to consume the three drinks Junmyeon had promised to them.

 

“Tignan niyo ‘tong si Jongdae, lasing na.” Sehun called out, smirking as Jongdae reached over to swat at him haphazardly, but missing due to Jongin sitting in between them. Sehun was all snark and sass, and in his coif and crossed legs on the left side of the booth, he was the image of biting retorts and sarcastic barbs. “’Di kaya! Pagod lang ako, uy!”

 

Baekhyun leaned over, his chest nearly exposed to the entirety of the bar due to the number of buttons undone on his dress shirt, his suit jacket abandoned on his thigh.  It didn’t take a genius to see the eyes glued onto him, but the older man paid them no mind.

 

He was here with friends, and a very strict rule to not post anything with him tagged in it. No Instagram stories, which Jongin had agreed to. His mother would have a heart attack to see that her son was becoming a budding alcoholic.

 

‘ _Makikita ni Chanyeol, gago. Lagot ako ‘dun.’_ He had murmured before the drinks came pouring in, but he had quickly stirred the pot for the conversation to start, and boy, did it start with another comment powered by Baekhyun’s quick wit.

 

“Eh, ‘yan din sabi mo nung ka-chat ka namin eh. Apat daw ang kaya, eh mukhang one and a half pa lang ‘yang naiinom mo.” He bit back, laughing as Jongdae slumped harder against Jongin before straightening up to finish his bottle.

 

“Oh ayan, two na. Myeon, isa pa nga!” He poked Junmyeon, who was sitting over the exit of the booth. “Walanjo, libre ko na nga, ‘di mo pa makuhang tumawag ng waiter.” He bit back, but already raised his hand to other more. “Oh, sino pa ang g for round 3? Bukod kay Jongdae?” he asked, murmuring to the waiter at the show of hands around their tiny booth.

 

Jongin raised his hands as he finished his second bottle, stuffing a napkin on the mouth before setting it on the table. “Buti pa si Jongin eh, strong, kahit medyo lutang na.” The younger male smirked, before shaking his head wordlessly as he leaned back down on the chair to accept the next bottle.

 

“Pa-nachos ka naman, Myeon! Love mo naman kami eh!” Baekhyun jeered, positively losing himself with the intensity of his laughter at Junmyeon’s affronted face. “Aba pota, libre ko nga tig-tatlong drinks niyo, pati pulutan, ako pa.” He jutted his tumb at Yixing, who was busy talking with Jongdae at his side. “Assistant lang ako, ayan ang officer oh!”

 

Yixing seemed shocked at the sudden jeers but sighed as the cheering grew even louder. He grabbed at the menu, pushing it into Baekhyun’s hands. “Oh, order na.” He offered, though with the way he was scratching behind his ear and the way he refused to look at the menu, it meant he was reluctant in his choice, but eventually gave in.

 

“Ayun! Love you, Xing xing!” Baekhyun took charge with their orders, as Jongin fussed with his contacts to replace them with his glasses. Never in his life had he thought he would be removing his contacts in the middle of a bar, and the higher prescription of his glasses just made him even more lightheaded in addition to the two glasses of jack coke he had finished, and the Smirnoff bottle he had been nursing for quite some time.

 

His gazed returned to the neon sign in front of their booth, the lights now sharper with his glasses—almost too sharp, it nearly gave him a headache in addition to the booming music in the dimly light bar. Excusing himself, he had stepped out to the sidewalk, buying a cigarette from a passing street vendor, passing the correct amount of coins with a murmur of thanks.

 

The vendor was long gone when he had realized, he had forgotten to light up the damned thing.

 

 _‘Iba talaga kabobohan natin, Jongin.’_ He thought, as he looked around the remaining people to find someone he could borrow a lighter or a box of matches from, but Junmyeon had emerged from the bar, his hands cupped around the stick hanging from his lips as his way towards Jongin. “Mukhang kailangan mo, here.” He passed the lighter to Jongin, who accepted it with a curt ‘thanks.’

 

He wasn’t just in the speaking mood at the moment; too many things in his mind that even the pounding bass and a few shots of expensive alcohol wasn’t gonna help either, or so he thought. “Biglang tahimik ka. Ano nangyari?” Junmyeon asked, tossing Jongin a worried glance. “Ewan ko, bes.” Jongin replied, exhaling smoke into the inky sky. His left hand felt awkwardly empty, having left his bottle at the booth. “I’m resigning, ‘Myeon.”

 

“Oh.” Junmyeon clicked his tongue. “Sayang naman.” He said, but Jongin knew he said it just to clear the awkward air between them.

 

“Deins naman ako mareregular. Ayoko na lang ipilit.” Jongin shrugged, he had already cried about this for weeks ever since his boss had talked to him. “Have you talked—?” the older trailed off, cigarette in one hand as he gestured wildly in the air. Jongin took in another drag as he shook his head. “Kakausapin ko palang sila Mama bukas, pero kinausap na ako nila boss.”

 

He and Junmyeon were never particularly close per se but having started work at the same exact time had helped him be a little more at ease with him despite his closeness with Baekhyun. They talked about their shared work stress, and how the older was always on the verge of quitting at all times, even the time he had broken up with his long-term girlfriend, Irene.

 

“Ano plano mo?”

 

“Ewan. Bahala na. Kilala mo naman ako. Walang plano sa buhay.”

 

Junmyeon grinned at him from the side as he stubbed his cigarette onto the heel of his expensive shoe. “Let’s just drink tonight. You know what, I’ll buy you another drink.” Jongin did the same thing, before flicking the butt into a nearby trashcan. “Nako ‘Myeon, alam ko malapit lang bahay mo dito, pero I am not that easy.” Jongin winked at him before they both erupted in laughter as he walked back into the bar. “Plus, baby pa ako. ‘Wag.”

 

“Ulol. Asa ka, Jongin.” Junmyeon replied, rolling his eyes.

 

Baekhyun quickly noticed the older’s arm around Jongin, even at the awkward angle. “Hay nako, akala ko ba YB lang, pero bakit mukhang MB ang naganap?”

 

Jongin returned to his seat, asking for a glass of ice for his now piss warm mule. “MB?” he asked, emptying the drink into the glass.

 

“Momol break.” Baekhyun snickered before ducking away from Jongin. “Gago.” The younger replied though a smile was on his face. He and Junmyeon were never going to be a thing, they were friends, and Jongin was the type to have that clear divide between work and pleasure. “Uy, may sasabihin ako.” Jongin spoke, beckoning the others to listen to him with the wild swatting of his hands.

 

“Oh, ano yun? Kayo na ni ‘Myeon?” Jongdae replied, clearly already pissed out of his mind with the way he laughed. “’Di gago. Magreresign na ako.” Jongin turned to Yixing, who was actually one of his bosses. “Uy Sir Xing, magreresign na ako ha. Hanggang October na lang ata ako? Ewan, pero basta aalis na ako.”

 

He raised his glass. “To my future, mga bes. Nawa’y maliwanagan ako.” They toasted to that, Baekhyun looping his arm around Jongin’s. “Aw, I love you always, Jongin, ha? Don’t forget.” He said, burrowing into his shoulder.

 

“Hahanap na lang ako ng azukarera de papa.” They both laughed at Jongin’s comment, and Baekhyun made Jongin laugh harder when he pointed at Junmyeon, before whispering. “Look no further na, bes.”

 

It wasn’t a secret that Junmyeon was loaded. Fancy car, booming family business and had quite the figure in his bank account—he was the type that didn’t even need to become a corporate slave, unlike Jongin who practically went thru _petsa de peligro_ the week after their salary went into their accounts.

 

“Gago ka, Baek.” He replied, chuckling into his bottle, though his other hand was preoccupied with booking a Grab back home, watching the fare slowly lower with every refresh of the app until he deemed two hundred pesos from Kapitolyo to BGC was enough.

 

So far so good, he just really needed to go to the bathroom really quick—oh no, standing up was a bad idea.

 

Oh no.

 

He nearly fell onto a passing waitstaff due to his wobbly knees.

 

“Ulol. Lightweight ka pala eh.” Baekhyun yelled, laughing loudly that his voice rivaled the volume of the music. Jongin flipped him off as he walked to the bathroom at the end of the bar, seeing Sehun and Junmyeon laughing at something before Junmyeon retreated back to their booth.

 

“Uy, Se. Pa-una na ako, malapit na grab ko eh.”

 

“Ano ka. Sabay na lang tayo, jusko.”

 

“Tangina. Bakit parang lahat kayo gusto atang maka-score sa’kin ngayon? Ganun ba ako ka-gwapo tonight?” Jongin joked as they entered the single bathroom together. “Wow. Lasing ka nga.” Sehun commented.

 

With their business done and over with, and Sehun forcibly reminding Jongin to wash his hands with a spray of water the other had flicked at him. Jongin’s grab driver was about two minutes away too, so he quickly hugged everyone goodbye.

 

When the white Vios rolled up in front of the curb, Jongin mentally steeled himself to not pass out in the car, for two reasons, he didn’t want to get kidnapped or get lost should the driver not know where he lived.

 

“Good evening po, kuya.” He greeted. Drunk or not, Jongin had acceptable manners.

 

The driver chuckled. “Sir, good morning na po.” Jongin stared at the digital clock at the car console blinking ‘2:46’ and laughed back. “Ay sorry. Good morning po.”

 

Jongin quickly got to contacting a friend whom he knew was still awake at this hour, setting a time to talk to him despite all the alcohol in his system making him doze off. Taemin had texted back ten minutes later with a series of question marks to Jongin’s text of his name.                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                  _Taemiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnn_

_Hoy alam ko gising ka_

_Wag kang magpanggap_

_??????_

_Oh bakit_

_How was the party haha_

_Saks lang???_

_Pero mas masaya after party_

_Haha_

_Usap tayo mamaya_

_Pauwi pa lang ako eh_

_Huhu antok na ako_

_Ok sige_

_Maligo ka para magising ka_

_Text mo ko pag okay ka na_

Jongin had arrived in front of his condominium lobby in BGC in twenty-five minutes, slurring his thanks to the driver as he paid him, waiting for the change to be given back, but for some reason, had flung the coins across the pavement as soon as he got out of the car.

 

Blinking slow and cursing under his breath, he ducked down to pick the coins up, his thumbs running across the ridges of the coins as he slowly got into the lobby, which thankfully, had dimmed down the lights due to the late hour.

 

The lobby guards didn't even seem like they wanted to ask, if they witnessed whatever the hell Jongin had just done outside.

 

He had leaned against the cold metal of the elevator as he waited for his floor, walking quickly to his unit so he could quickly pass out on his couch for a few minutes.

 

Jongin ended up laying on the lumpy cushions for half an hour before he had finally forced himself to take a hot shower so that he could call Taemin.

 

With this hair dripping on the sheets, he had fallen face first onto his bed, before he turned to dial Taemin’s number on his phone, staring at thru the floor length window and the high rises in front as he waited for the other to answer.

 

_“Oh, kumusta?”_

 

“Ito. I think I’m drunk, pero I feel like I’m not? Ewan ko haha.” Jongin slurred, cheek half mushed against his pillow as Taemin’s voice filled the room.

 

 _“Ikaw? Lasing? Aba, anong meron sayo at bigla mong naiisipan uminom ng ganyan?”_ Taemin asked, chuckling at Jongin’s groans as he struggled to position his blanket over his legs properly. “Libre kasi, gags. Existential crisis nanaman. I’m resigning kasi from work bes,” Jongin had moaned out, whining his problems at this older friend. “Naiiyak ako, gago.”

 

“I haven’t told my parents. Shit, Taem, paano ‘to? Patapon nanaman ako, dios ko.” Jongin sighed up, his throat becoming choked up with emotion, but was unable to cry. At that point, he reasoned it to not being hydrated enough to do so.

 

Water could wait until later—emotional turmoil could not.

 

“Takot ka ba?”

 

“Syempre naman. Nagmessage ako kay Dad kanina. Sabi ko kakausapin ko sila kanina, kaso uminom nga ako baka malaman nila na manginginom na yung basura nilang anak. Kaya nga ako nagpatay ng wifi eh.”

 

Taemin only laughed, but Jongin could clearly see him shaking his head at his words. _“Ako nga halos linggo linggo nasa Early Night pero ngayon lang ata ‘ko bakante.”_ Jongin could hear the whirring of a fan near Taemin, as his audio grew louding with the whooshing over the line.

“Wow. Bakit nga pala wala kayong ganap kanina?” Jongin turned on his side, finally sober enough to start formulating a plan on how to break it to his parents. Taemin had responded after a few seconds. _“Ewan ko rin, actually. Wala naman nasabi sa akin sila Tim.”_

Jongin took a quick glance at the time on his phone, it was already five am. “Uy, tulog na ako, Taem? Haha. ‘Di ko na kaya, yung antok ko specifically kasi marami na akong hindi kaya sa buhay kong ito.” He laughed, even harder when Taemin cussed at him for being dramatic.

 

_“Arte. Sige. Good luck sa parents mo, bes.”_

“Salamat sa usap, bes. Bye haha.” It didn’t take much for Jongin to legitimately pass out after dropping the call with Taemin, despite the steadily rising sun outside. He could bury himself in blankets to protect his eyes from the offending light if need be.

 

Nearly eight hours later, Jongin had woken up extremely hungry but not hungover, which was strange. He had walked over to the kitchen to weigh his options for his late breakfast, making the mistake to open his phone’s wifi and scrolling thru the myriad of notifications he missed.

 

A set of notifications made him groan really hard. He had ten unread messages from his parents, and three missed calls. He opened all of them, all the messages asking where he was or was he even home, or why he didn't call despite telling them that we would.

 

_Ijo de puta._

 

Paano mo ipapaliwanag yung katangahan na ‘to, Jongin?

 

Jongin breathed in deep and let it out in one quick burst that it made his ribs shake. “Putangina. Ayos to, Kim.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello?? shet?? umabot ka dito???
> 
> HAHA. Sorry, naging conyo si Jongin. Sabi sa inyo ang daming liberties dito eh, as this is severely self indulgent.  
> Marami pa to, sa totoo lang, pero tinatamad akong i-one shot to, kasi di pa polished yung ibang part, kaya ito muna.


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